Flight on Tattered Wings
by Cathamaria
Summary: This is a fairly short fanfic in which Lady Une reminisces, or dreams, to be more precise, about the final moments of the Eve of Wars. THIS FIC HAS NO POINT! I REPEAT: THIS FANFIC DOES NOT HAVE A POINT! .. The end is EXTREMELY sappy beyond all reason, so


Flight on Tattered Wings  
  
By: CrimsonDaybreak 2003 (aka. Shukujo Une... or Cat)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, its characters, or its plot. Nor do I own any of the quotes I borrowed from the GW episodes 46 through 49...  
  
Dedicated to: Anyone who laughed and cried at the same time at the end of the GW episode #48... *sniffle* Treize-sama... *laughs hysterically*  
  
Note: This fanfic, like many of my others, is COMPLETELY LACKING OF A PLOT!!  
  
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This is a fairly short fanfic in which Lady Une reminisces, or dreams, to be more precise, about the final moments of the Eve of Wars. THIS FIC HAS NO POINT!! I REPEAT: THIS FANFIC DOES NOT HAVE A POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .. The end is EXTREMELY sappy beyond all reason, so beware. Oh, and just so you know ahead of time, this is just a recap of everything that happened at the end of the Gundam series... It has no original plot, just a little perspective into Une's thoughts, perhaps. Hey, I tried to capture the moment... but I don't think it worked very well. Hehehe.  
  
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FLIGHT ON TATTERED WINGS  
  
"Treize," the young Colonel whispered in her sleep, his image once again harassing her dreams. One year had passed her by, one year since that cold Christmas morning when fate chose to take him from her. Still, he would not leave her be, or so she would not let him go. "Treize, don't do this..." she whispered pleadingly.  
  
Lady's eyes opened abruptly to the sight of the crisp, sanitary white ceiling, the knowledge that she lay in a hospital did not surprise her. She had a faint memory of the Chief Engineer, Tuberov, that sheen of hatred glazing his eyes, as he pulled the trigger and shot her...without any hesitation. That was after she had freed the Gundam pilots against his will- his hateful, disgusting will.  
  
"Go and shoot me, Tuberov, to confirm what you believe to be right!" she had said. It was a miracle she had survived, but it was the kindness, and more importantly, the loyalty to Treize Khushrenada, that prompted the soldiers on Space Fortress Barge to bring her back to Earth. And to save her life.  
  
The bouquet of crimson roses, a gift from His Excellency, lay softly by her side. He had paid her a final visit before leaving for outer space... His Excellency. Lady jumped up from her bed, not caring for the shouts of the doctors who did not want her to leave, especially in the condition she was in. Lady did feel lethargic, but she knew he was in danger, she could feel it beneath her skin, and the instinct of a soldier was buried far too deep within her psyche to let anything - anyone stop her now. She had to get to Treize...before it was too late.  
  
The bright painted colours of the Wing Gundam struck a rainbow through the sky as it shot for outer space. The unknown pilot veered it quickly out of target range, as the Luxembourg Base's tech engineers stood in shock, and the remaining ground troops scattered to react. This legendary mobile suit had one more task to perform, one more mission to complete, before it could finally be laid to rest.  
  
Treize Khushrenada, leader of the World Unified Nations and its army, held his Tallgeese's position gallantly before Libra's main cannon, waiting as his old friend contemplated whether or not he should give the order to fire. "If you defeat me now, you'll have earned your victory, Zechs. Go ahead and fire, for the peace of the Earth and outer space!" Treize surged his suit forward at the Battleship Libra. Milliardo had refused to face Treize in a duel. He would not, not after the friendship, the rivalry, the hatred, that grew between them. The Epyon had a greater task than this, and with only a few moments of hesitation, Milliardo muttered the command.  
  
The great streak of blue light raced across the emptiness of space, and Treize had said his good-bye. But Lady would not have it that way. She would fight against fate itself to keep it from being. The bright colours of red, green, blue, and white that decorated the armour of the Wing Gundam slashed the darkness like a jewelled blade, and she rammed it purposely into the Tallgeese II. The momentum from the collision thrust it out of Libra's range, but it placed her where Treize had been, and within a mere fraction of a second, the Wing Gundam had taken the shot.  
  
Its once stunning colours faded into an opaque, smouldering grey, and the mobile suit was rendered ineffective, unable to respond. The fates had played fair with Lady, and the suit had retained itself, despite the force of the impact. It did not explode; the Tallgeese II would have exploded. Treize looked on, horrified that anyone would be willing to sacrifice themselves so ruthlessly, thankful that the Wing Gundam had not exploded, not killing whoever was inside, and stunned as the one who saved his life stepped from the cockpit of the mobile suit. He recognized her dark, cocoa eyes immediately. "It's Lady Une!"  
  
She floated the distance between the two mobile suits, and landed in the Tallgeese's outstretched metallic hand. Looking up at the great warrior she knew was within that metal shell, she smiled with the satisfaction of performing the highest duty she could as a soldier. She had made it in time, and she had saved His Excellency's life.  
  
His sapphire eyes could clearly pick out the expression on his face, yet he could not interpret it, because still, he was stupored by such an act... The act she had performed. A weary joy crept over him, as he knew his Lady had broken free from the coma that had bound her to death, and she was alive. "Lady, what did you do that for?" She turned and motioned to battlefield that lay before them, and with an air of pride, she whispered,  
  
"Mister Treize, one must fight the battle to understand its beauty..." With this, he could not disagree. She understood his ideals, his thoughts, so well, and now adopted them as her own. Regret surged through him as he flew her back to safety, for she had risked her life to save his, but in the end, the effort would have been in vain. He knew what would happen. That final, inevitable end would come, but he swore to himself it would be a glorious one. He gazed into the depths of her eyes one last time, and then committed them to memory.  
  
Lady stood on the flight deck of the M.O. 2 resource satellite station, where she had been brought to help command the remaining armies of the Earth's Unified Nations. She clenched her fists tightly, so tightly, that her knuckles turned white, and she bit down hard on her lower lip. Like all the others around her, her eyes were set to the large Vidalink screen in front of them.  
  
The two mobile suits duelled for supremacy, their sabers clashing in a valiant display of power and skill. Silence dawned upon those who watched intently, awaiting the victor to immerge from the spar of shimmering metallic colours. Lady could not bear to watch, for she knew the outcome of this match had already been determined. But she could not tear her eyes from the screen.  
  
The Gundam 05, the one piloted by the Chinese boy who swore he would return to kill Treize, stood motionless from shock as the Tallgeese flew forward in a rapid, stunning motion. But instead of attacking, he drove himself into the Chinese Gundam's saber, and before his opponent could respond to the violent outburst, the act was done. The bright green blaze of the laser sword tore through the cold, metal suit, nearly splitting it in half, and 05 could do nothing to prevent it. "That was beautiful, Wu Fei," Treize whispered, his strong voice wavering. "Bye, Wu Fei, my eternal friend. I am honoured I could fight with you pilots..." The Tallgeese II, now only visible as a blur of white and blue behind a curtain of sparks, staggered back, the loose circuits threatening to detonate the entire suit. Treize's final words remained unheard, as the Tallgeese exploded into a spectacular orb of electricity, its remnants scattering across the depths of time and space itself. "Milliardo, I'll be waiting on the other side..." The other pilot watched in disbelief. He had won so easily, as if he had been allowed to do so... Treize had chosen to let him win, he had chosen to die. That was his fate.  
  
"No!" the Gundam pilot yelled, slamming his fists down on the control console; he was at the point of tears. "No. I-I didn't think I'd win..."  
  
Lady watched in horror, her eyes clouding with the first feelings of loss, of mourning, but she allowed herself to shed no tears. He had done what he believed was right. And he had fought it out valiantly until the very end. She leaned forward against the console in front of her, the solid metal box preventing her from collapsing to her knees, from crying out in dismay. The fate, the outcome of this war, would now depend on her. What would Treize have wanted?  
  
She clenched her fists and fighting against the grief that threatened to overwhelm her. "Colonel Une, your orders?" a lieutenant asked, and she straightened and whirled around to face him, and the others who sat at the satellite's communication console.  
  
"You must get in touch with the White Fang," she ordered, her voice wavering. "Tell them that as of this moment the World Nation declares its defeat." This was her decision. This was what Treize had wanted.  
  
"Huh?" The young officer began to protest, but Lady made her point.  
  
Her voice trembling, she commanded again, almost angrily, "This is humiliating! Don't make me repeat myself, send them the message!"  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
Then it was done. "Mr. Treize, you were splendid," she whispered into the silence that descended down upon them all, as if maybe, somehow, he could still hear her, if not with his ears, than with his heart. She knew that this what he had always wanted. A glorious end. With those simple words, the war, or the most part of it, had ended, and Lady knew that if fate did not have compassion on her, she too would follow Treize to the other side. The young girl, the daughter of the Vice Foreign Minister she herself had assassinated, entered the M.O.2 satellite's main deck, and, drawing her revolver, Lady turned to face her. The girl gasped, but realized that the woman who had killed her father did not intend on killing her. This heartbroken Colonel held the gun out to her, Relena, the barrel facing herself. She needed to know if fate was to take her too. She wanted to die.  
  
"I am like a body that has lost its soul," she whispered to the girl in a somber tone. "Now's your chance to take revenge for your father's death." But the girl refused to take the gun. Her words reminded Lady of something Treize had told her once...  
  
"...Nothing can be accomplished through revenge... Hatred will only result in bringing more hatred." Fate had spared her the bloodshed. She had been spared death by the one girl she assumed wanted her death most of all. But this girl forgave her. And soon, she would have to forgive herself.  
  
Finally alone in her apartments on the Khushrenada Estate, she cried, her clear, salty tears spilling down her cheeks. She had never allowed herself to cry before, but this time, the pain of loss was just too unbearable, and she cried, wishing that she could have done something more. Something that would have changed his fate, just like she had changed hers. But it was done. And he would forever be entombed by a cold, grey stone, the marker of his death.  
  
"Treize..." Lady woke, and as she gazed into the star-filled sky of early Christmas morning, she realized that this was his gift. To her, and to the world, he gave the gift of lasting peace, a sacrifice to ensure that the Earth itself would survive. A sacrifice to atone for his sins. She thought back on the gift she had given him. Through her actions, she gave him the final knowledge that no matter what, no matter the burden or the sacrifice, she would always be loyal enough to do whatever he might ask of her... Her devotion was enough to have her willingly gamble her own life for his.  
  
And despite her injuries, despite her lack of strength...she had saved his life, like a guardian angel taking flight, even though her wings were tattered, and carrying out a final service to her master. Wasn't it the duty, the devotion, she had as a soldier that compelled her to do what she had done? No, it was something more, something much, much more. Love. She loved him... and, though he had never been very open towards her, Treize had loved his Lady as well. The knowledge of this alone saved her from his fate. She would not die as he did.  
  
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One word description: BAKA.  
  
But it's a pretty good recount of the Eve of Wars, right? I don't know where in hell the whole guardian angel thing came from, but hey... Wait... guardian angels don't come from hell! Interesting. I just thought of that... Let's try: I don't know where in HEAVEN that whole thing came from-- On other lines, I think it could make any fan of Treize-sama cry, don't you? *sniffle* Hehehe. Too bad there aren't very many Treize-fans out there. Please RxR; thanx!! 


End file.
